Page 34 of Voices

“I’ll get it. It’s probably the pizza.”

I keep my eyes closed with my head against the wall and drop my hands to the floor beside my hips.

I’m hard. It’s the first time I’ve been able to get fully erect in over a year.

I don’t know what made me keep touching Shane. His skin was so warm that I couldn’t bring myself to remove my hands. When I heard his breath hitch the second my palms touched his nipples, my dick woke up. Then he started breathing heavy which made it jump. And after tracing those firm abs and sexy as hell Adonis belt, I’ve never been harder.

The way I’m sitting with my knees up is hiding the evidence of my arousal. I have no idea how I’m supposed to get rid of it without him seeing.

Shane walks by with a delicious-smelling pizza. I don’t even know the last time I had pizza. I hear him set it on the table and then walk back over to me.

“Pizza’s here. Want a hand up?”

I peek open one eye as he smiles down at me. I look at his crotch but don’t see a bulge. I thought he was enjoying me touching him as much as I did. He didn’t stop me.

He does, however, catch me staring at his waist. He laughs a short laugh, then raises the bottom of his shirt, showing me the large lump tucked in his waistband.

“Didn’t want to traumatize the delivery guy.” He winks.

Oh.

“Come on let’s eat. I’m starving.” He reaches down this time and takes my hands, pulling me up to my feet with little effort. Keeping his hand in mine, we walk to the table.

He pulls out a chair and motions for me to sit in it.

Why is he being so nice? No one has ever pulled out a chair for me. I don’t know what to make of it.

I take a seat as he sits next to me.

“Inside or outside,” he asks as he opens the pizza box.

“Doesn’t matter.”

He grabs two inside pieces and two outside pieces and places them on a paper plate that must have come with the pizza because I sure as hell never buy those.

He holds up a bottle of water and a can of Sprite. I point to the Sprite, and instead of handing it over, he pops the top open and then sets it down by my plate.

I stare at it, dripping condensation on the table. I don’t understand.

Is this supposed to happen in a friendship? Am I supposed to do the same for him? Does he want more from me?

He’s just being nice, you dumbass.

Accept that you’ve been treated like trash your whole life.

He’s only being nice because he wants to get in your ass.

All that grease is a sure-fire way to mess with your stomach.

He’ll make you douche for hours.

SHUT UP!!

I close my eyes and push on the sides of my head until a dull ache forms, silencing the voices.

When I open my eyes and lower my hands, Shane looks concerned. He takes my hand closest to his and gives it a firm, reassuring squeeze. He keeps my hand in his as he picks up a slice of pizza.

“This is really good. You should try it. The owners are an older couple from Sicily that make everything from scratch using the freshest ingredients,” he says right before he takes a massive bite of the rather thick-looking crust. He washes it down with his water and continues. “Seriously, try it! One of the owners, Elio, saw me one day when I first moved up here for training camp. He came out from the kitchen and asked if I played any sports. I said I played hockey for Gannon U and that I had just moved here. He looked me over from head to toe and declared that I’d never survive ‘Skate Wars’ because of how skinny I was. Mind you, I wasn’t all that much smaller than I am now,” he chuckles, pushing my plate closer to me.

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